The Other Side
by Adair In Wonderland
Summary: Being roommates with a psychic can be dangerous. Peeking through the door to the room Shuichi Nakatsu and Taiki Kayashima share only confirms such a notion. Loosely connected oneshots. Nakatsu/Kayashima here and there, maybe.
1. Fox

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Hana Kimi.

**Warning:** Okay... so... "Loosely connected oneshots". Herm. Yeah. So, there will be no overall plot to be found in this thing here. Like everything I write, I barely plan it out in advance at all so who knows where it'll go, but there is a certain... direction, shall we say, that I want to take it. Rated T for safety. It could change, in either direction. There may be some hinted and/or very tame Nakatsu/Kayashima action, at least at the beginning of this thing. How that may or may not progress, who knows? We'll see. I'm not sure.

Anyway. Read it, please. And enjoy it! (I hope.... v.v)

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**The Other Side  
I: Fox**

"Oi. Kayashima. Come down here."

"... Why?"

"Why not?

"... No. I'm busy."

Letting his book bag fall to the floor, Shuichi Nakatsu sighed heavily, running one hand through his bleached blonde hair. Removing his jacket, he tossed it carelessly onto the floor alongside his bag, glaring up at the half wall partition that hid his roommate from his sight. "You sure ran out of class pretty fast today. If I come up there, I'm not gonna find you doing some creepy voodoo shit, am I?"

A brief silence followed his question, lasting _just_ long enough to make him slightly nervous.

"No. Don't come up here."

"W-why? You say it like that... It makes me curious."

"_Don't_ come up here. You'll regret it."

"W-what?! "Regret it"?! What the hell are you talking about?!"

Standing still in the middle of their room, Nakatsu stared at the half wall with the completely unmasked feeling of incredulity his roommate's words had caused in him. He nearly jumped when a small sigh drifted down from the upper level, a distinct note of annoyance audible in the quiet, breathy exclamation.

"Please, stop talking. You're distracting me."

_'Distracting you'?... From... from what?_

"Um... Ah... O-okay. Sorry..."

He wanted to ask. He really, _really_ wanted to ask, but the unfamiliar tone of command in his friend's voice kept all possible questions at bay. Sitting dejectedly at the small desk situated next to his bed, he rummaged through his bag, his fingers closing around a small item located at the bottom. The white porcelain was cold against his hand as he lifted it out and set it carefully on the wooden surface of the desk. He stared at it for a moment, his eyes studying every detail of the little figurine in an attempt to distract himself from what may or may not be going on above him.

It had just been there, lying on the ground. When class had ended that day and Kayashima had shot like a bullet out of the room, he'd wanted to follow him, to ask him why he was in such a hurry, but his mission had been put on hold when he'd seen it sitting there. It had been strange. That's why he'd picked it up and turned it over in his hands. One just didn't find things like that lying around the campus of an all boys' high school. Or many other places for that matter. And that's why he'd pocketed it, tucked it away in his bag with the distinct purpose of bestowing it upon his rushed roommate once he caught up to him. Because it had been strange. And because Kayashima would like it.

He sat in silence for a few moments, pushing his feet against the floor, causing the chair to swivel in one direction and then the other. The quiet that had settled in the room was teetering on the verge of being unsettling, punctuated only by muffled sounds from the other side of their closed door. Nakatsu leaned back in the chair, lacing his fingers together as he tried to focus on those noises rather than the unnerving silence. Gazing at the ceiling, he nearly fell out of his chair when Kayashima's face suddenly appeared from over the wall.

"What are you doing?"

"Are you seriously asking _me_ that?!" Nakatsu yelled up at the psychic, confused by the perplexed expression on the other's face and by the fact that he was the one being asked that particular question.

Kayashima frowned down at him before his eyes locked onto the figurine sitting on the middle of the desk, his black eyes squinting as he regarded it. Nakatsu opened his mouth, but closed it just as quickly when the other disappeared behind the wall before he had time to speak. Turning in the chair, he watched Kayashima walk down the staircase and approach the desk, his eyes never leaving the small porcelain statue.

"This..." Kayashima gestured towards it once he reached the desk.

"Yeah?" Nakatsu offered, trying to decipher the slightly bemused expression the psychic was wearing, wondering if what he'd found was really that interesting.

"It's a... kitsune?" Kayashima murmured, seemingly asking the question to no one in particular as he reached out and placed one finger on the head of the small, white fox.

"Yeah. I guess. That's what it looks like to me, anyway," Nakatsu mumbled, scooting forward to rest his elbows on the desk. "It's yours."

Kayashima's gaze finally returned to him, a smile quite evident in those mysterious black orbs. "Mine?"

"Yeah. I thought you might like it, so..."

"Where did you..."

"I dunno. I just found it outside. Weird, huh?"

"Nn. Yeah." The smile in his eyes finally made its way to his face as Kayashima picked up the small figurine, holding it near his face as he studied it. That smile grew steadily larger as the seconds ticked by until a small chuckle fell from his curved lips.

Nakatsu watched the scene unfolding with wide eyes, feeling slightly perturbed by his roommate's uncharacteristic behavior. "Uh... Do you... like it, then?"

His pale hand making a loose fist around the small fox, Kayashima rested it against his grinning mouth, his eyes closing for a moment as he stood there, silent and still. "Yes. Thank you," he whispered against his fingers after a short pause, his eyes opening fractionally.

"Uh... You're welcome..."

Lowering his hand, Kayashima continued to smile, his black eyes resting upon his sitting roommate. Another unexpected laugh broke through the silence and the psychic stepped backwards, moving towards the small staircase.

"Thank you, Nakatsu. You really saved me," he said cheerfully, one foot resting on the bottom step.

"W-what? Saved...? What the hell are you talking about?!" he asked, confused, once again, by the things the other boy was saying. Rising halfway out of his chair, he squinted at his friend.

The only reply he received was a mischievous smile before his roommate, and the fox he carried, disappeared from sight.

**Fox - End**

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Thanks for reading! I hope it was alright...

And, so, I have started another one. If you looked at the genre markers, you may have noticed how all it says is "supernatural". That is going to be the common theme which "loosely connects" these stories. I couldn't decide on the second genre to mark it as - comedy, romance, drama, suspense, etc - because it will very likely be constantly shifting between such things.

Also, you may have noticed I used the room layout from the drama. I like the separate levels they used in the drama better than the bunk bed setup of the manga. (Right? It was bunk beds in the manga??) I think the separate levels provide a little more interesting layout and also allows for a bit more... I don't know what the word I'm looking for is. Anyway. It's important since all these scenes are ONLY going to be taking place in their room and nowhere else. (I think.) So, yeah, drama layout, even though the characters in my head are the manga ones... .

One more thing. It's been quite a while since I've read Hana Kimi. I do not remember exactly what Kayashima's abilities are, or if they are even fully explained in the manga. I remember about the auras, of course, and he can see ghosts/spirits (right?), but otherwise, I shall be taking great artistic license concerning what it is that he knows/can do.

And then, the super last most important thing I will say is............ REVIEW!!! If you would be so kind. Constructive criticism and the like is always welcomed and appreciated. I'm not asking for (or expecting) for you to tell me how amazing this story is, just your honest opinion is all I ask. Please and thank you! ^_^


	2. In The Gray

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Hana Kimi.

**Warning:** Eh... maybe subliminal shounen ai. Maybe less subliminal shounen ai in future chapters. And maybe some "creepy" stuff in this chapter. I don't really know how to write scary stuff, so probably not really. Also, the f-bomb. Oh no!! Consider yourself warned.

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**The Other Side  
II: In The Gray**

He didn't know what to do.

He didn't want to look, but he couldn't tear his gaze away. His hands were clammy, shaking. He'd forgotten how to breath correctly, every rise and fall of his chest erratic and sharp and almost painful as he tried his best to regulate the necessary bodily function.

He'd also forgotten what Kayashima had told him, the important words that the psychic had quietly whispered to him before all of this had begun. Those words that were the key, the way out of the current horror he was experiencing. Instead, playing through his head on repeat was the beginning, the trivial part of their earlier conversation, the opportunity he'd missed to pass all of this by. He sometimes cursed his inexplicable, unwavering devotion for his roommate. But now, what he cursed more was his cowardice and idiocy.

_"You know, you don't have to do this if you don't want to. I don't want you to feel obligated."_

Kayashima had said it without any trace of emotion, but Nakatsu could see the expectancy in those black eyes.

_"Ah, whatever."_

He'd said it, rolling his eyes toward the ceiling and scratching the back of his neck. He'd done it purposefully - looked away and acted all flippant - because he knew what he'd see when he looked back.

_"It's no big deal. It seems like it's really important to you, so... I don't mind. And you said yourself it might be dangerous if you're alone, so..."_

And sure enough, when he lowered his gaze back down to his roommate's face, there was a small smile waiting for him, calm and serene yet seeming to almost burst with the other boy's barely concealed joy.

_"Thank you."_

And what could he blame it on? He couldn't concentrate because Kayashima had leaned in too close. He couldn't hear clearly with the way his breathy whispers were ghosting across his face. He couldn't understand because such frightening words had no place coming from such a pretty mouth.

He didn't listen because something bad could never happen to Kayashima. It just couldn't.

And, of course, it hadn't made sense when the other boy had fallen to the floor. He hadn't understood it at all when Kayashima's mouth had opened and... and...

It was why he was, now, standing frozen over the convulsing body of his roommate, watching in horror as things he couldn't possibly understand were happening. His eyes could see clearly, but the scene unfolding below him made no sense at all.

_"There's a spirit here. I want to speak with it."_

Did Kayashima like it? Were his special abilities something he was thankful for? Nakatsu wondered that from time to time, but somehow never found himself able to ask that particular question out loud. When Kayashima's eyes had rolled back in his head and a bone-chilling groan spilled out of his parted lips, he'd wondered it again.

_"This energy it's giving off... It feels like it has something important to tell me."_

And the spirits... Did they like Kayashima? Were the two of them drawn to each other? Was it like some kind of relationship? Some kind of bond that no one else could possibly understand? And if so, why would they... Why would they... hurt...

It had started at his nose. After Kayashima had crumpled onto the floor and nearly made Nakatsu's heart stop beating with an unnerving, unearthly wail, a strange, grayish substance had begun to leak out of his nose. He'd thought he was seeing things, but it kept coming, kept flowing out until there was no question that it was, indeed, there. He'd blinked, rubbed at his eyes, but it remained.

As Kayashima shuddered, Nakatsu dropped to his knees, his hands reaching out towards the psychic, only to stop short and hover above his prone form. He had no idea what to do.

Opening his mouth so wide it looked painful, Kayashima let loose a series of gargling and choking noises, his body twisting and arching as he was completely overcome. Nakatsu felt a shiver steal through him. He could see it rising up his throat. And it was only a moment before it came, burst out of his mouth like vomit, only it climbed upward, squirming through the air.

One hand clamped itself over his mouth as he tried not to yell out in a frenzied mixture of shock, disgust and fear. His heart was hammering in his chest so hard that it hurt. He couldn't look anymore. He couldn't.

"Kayashima..." It was a strangled whisper, muffled by his fingers and his growing panic.

_"Oh yeah? What do you think it wants to say?"_

_"I don't know... but it feels like it must be something amazing."_

He couldn't take it. Kayashima's eyes had rolled so far back in head that he could no longer see the mesmerizing, deep black of his irises. And then, that mucus-like gray substance began to well-up and seep out of the corners of his eyes, crawling down his face in the most disturbing display of sorrow he'd ever witnessed.

And that was all he could possibly take. He threw himself forward, wrapping his arms tightly around the wracked body of his roommate. He could feel it against his skin, wet and cold and so, so real. He was overcome with a nearly debilitating bout of shivers, but he refused to let go, only tightening his hold on the slender boy.

"Kayashima! Snap out of it! Okay? Come... Come back..."

All he could do was desperately cling to him, to plead with whatever was causing this to make it stop, to leave his best friend alone.

"Kayashima... Kayashima..."

_"Amazing, huh?"_

_"Yes. Amazing."_

Suddenly, the slimy wetness against his neck retreated, and Kayashima twitched in his arms, his body shifting as he made a sharp exhale followed by a muffled moan. Pulling away just slightly, Nakatsu looked at him and felt an immediate, almost overwhelming feeling of relief wash through him when he saw that that stuff, whatever it was, was completely gone. Kayashima eyes were open and staring at him, his expression as blank as always.

"K-Kayashima?"

"Hnn?"

"A-are you okay?"

The psychic nodded, one pale hand moving to his face to dab at the light sheen of sweat that covered it. "Yeah. I'm fine."

"A-are you sure? There was this... this s-stuff... I don't even... I mean, it was... It was fucking weird."

Kayashima smiled at him and shifted backwards, using his arms to keep himself propped up. "You can let go now," he whispered, looking up at him through his bangs.

"Ah... Oh. Oh! S-sorry!" Nakatsu pulled away, untangling himself from the other boy and scooting about a foot away from him, remaining seated on the floor. He didn't think there was any way he could possibly stand. His legs would give out before he could even get off his knees.

"Man, that was... that was freaky. Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes. I'm fine. I just need a minute."

The two of them sat together on the floor in complete silence for a brief moment, a moment in which Nakatsu's mind was overwhelmed with the images he'd just seen.

"Man... My heart is beating so fast," he laughed sheepishly over to Kayashima, feeling the need to speak, to do something to remove his focus from those disturbing memories.

Kayashima looked at him impassively, his mouth opening and closing with no sound coming out before he turned away.

"Huh? What? Did you say something?"

"... Mine too."

**II: In The Gray - End**

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Thanks for reading!... I think... Um... Ah... This is what we call ectoplasm, children.

If you don't know what ectoplasm is, look it up on wikipedia. It's scary _and_ disgusting. A wonderful combination, eh. But, that was pretty gross, huh? This story.. it's just not turning out very pleasant, is it? As I was writing this, I was like, "This is crap, isn't it? Who wants to read this shit?" Seriously.

And about the first chapter... Maybe it wasn't the best way to start this thing out. I realize that it was slightly nonsensical, but that was kind of the point. Anyway. I have high hopes for the next one. Hiiiiigh hopes.

AAANNNYYYWWWAAAYYY......... *drum roll*....... Review! (If you're so inclined.) Plz n thnx. XD


	3. Oscillation

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Hana Kimi.

**Warning:** Rated T to be super safe, even though there's probably nothing so far that warrants such a rating. Impending shounen ai? Be aware. Things may happen.

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**The Other Side  
III: Oscillation**

He'd become used to seeing strange things. He'd become used to seeing things he couldn't possibly find an explanation for all on his own. Sometimes it was bad. Sometimes he would become almost paralyzed with confusion (and various other unwelcome emotions) by the scene that greeted him when he opened the door to the room he shared with Taiki Kayashima. Today, thankfully, was not one of those instances. When he trudged in from a late soccer practice, tired and sweaty, what he saw only caused him to pause for a moment, cock his head to the side and raise an eyebrow before he moved forward to sit on his bed.

Kayashima was sitting at their desk, his eyes closed. His entrance had earned no response from the seated boy, and Nakatsu wasn't quite sure he was even aware of his presence. Between the thumb and forefinger of his right hand, the psychic was pinching the end of a delicate chain adorned with small, colorful stones. At the end of the chain hung a larger, inverted, cone-shaped gem stone. The jewelry-like contraption was gently swinging back and forth in Kayashima's still hand. Finally, the dark haired boy opened his eyes and sighed, his gaze fixed on the motion of the chain he was holding.

"How was practice?"

Nakatsu jumped at the sound of the other's voice. He had become slightly transfixed by the scene before him and found his eyes immediately traveling to the floor. "Uh, yeah. It was fine. Ran a little late, but it was good..."

"That's nice."

"Um... What are you doing?"

Finally Kayashima looked at him, tore his gaze away from the seemingly spellbinding chain. He looked disappointed. "This is a pendulum," he said quietly, raising the hand that held the trinket and swung it back and forth in front of his face.

"E-eh, wait! You're not gonna hypnotize me are you?!" Nakatsu yelled, backing away and raising his arms in defense.

"No. That's not what it's for," Kayashima assured him while arching one slender eyebrow.

"Then... what?"

"You ask it questions and it will tell you the answer."

"... Huh?"

"... What didn't you understand?"

"How... That... That doesn't make any sense."

"Sure it does," Kayashima explained, scooting the chair forward just slightly. "It only works for yes or no questions though. See, for me, when the answer is yes, it will start swinging in a circle and when the answer is no, it will swing back and forth in a straight line. Here, I'll show you." The psychic held the pendulum between them, running his fingers down the chain until it was hanging completely still. "Is my name Taiki Kayashima?... Is my name Taiki Kayashima?" he whispered softly into the air between them. Nakatsu realized that he'd been looking at the wrong thing when he noticed a small movement from the corner of his eye. Directing his gaze downward, he saw the pendulum swinging slowly in a distinctly circular motion.

"Are you... You're just moving it yourself, aren't you?"

"No." Kayashima grabbed the chain again and brought it to rest. "Here. I'll prove it to you." He reached forward with his empty hand and grabbed one of his, pulling it up. "Hold my hand."

"W-what?!"

"Hold my hand with yours. To prove that I'm not moving it."

"O-oh..." Reluctantly, Nakatsu placed both of his hands over Kayashima's, squeezing the smaller boy's pale extremity until there was no way he could move it even if he wanted to.

"Okay," Kayashima smiled up at him. "Is my name Shuichi Nakatsu?" He repeated the question a few times while staring fixedly at the pendulum and, sure enough, it began to swing back and forth. Kayashima peered up at him with a small smile, looking for his reaction.

"... Okay. I believe you," Nakatsu sighed, lowering his hands into his lap.

"Do you want to try?"

"... Ehh? Me?"

"Yes. You."

"But... Will it even work for me? I mean, I don't have any... powers... or whatever."

"That's fine. If you focus your energy, it will work."

"Focus my energy? I don't even know what that means."

Kayashima stared at him blankly for a moment before sighing and looking at the wall. "... Nevermind."

"Nevermind? Nevermind what?" Nakatsu questioned, leaning forward, slightly perturbed by the sound of disappointment in his roommate's voice.

"It's not important," Kayashima sighed, his dark eyes hovering over his face briefly before moving on once again. "I just thought you might want to..."

"Well, like I said," Nakatsu explained while raking a hand through his bleached and slightly damp hair, "I don't really think I understand. I don't think I can do it."

"You can, Nakatsu. If you actually _try_, you can."

It was silent for a moment while the skeptical boy regarded the psychic, his mind mulling over what he'd seen and heard. _It's not like it would hurt..._

"Okay, fine. Jeez. Give it here," he muttered, extending his hand. Kayashima smiled softly and dropped the pendulum into his waiting palm, scooting even closer in his chair.

"Now, hold it up. Make sure it's still."

Doing as he was instructed, Nakatsu listened to the other boy, eyes locked on his pale face while he was informed as to the correct way to work a pendulum.

Kayashima looked almost excited. It was odd. Barely a minute ago, the boy's face had been as pallid and expressionless as it always was, his black eyes never revealing anything that may lay beneath their ebony depths.

"When you ask the question, make sure you focus on the question and not the answer you want or the answer you think you'll get. Clear your mind and just think of the question. Sometimes it helps if you repeat it."

"Ah, okay. What should I.... I mean, I don't know what to ask."

"Anything you want."

Letting a sigh escape his lips, Nakatsu leaned forward, holding the pendulum between his fingers as he'd seen Kayashima do earlier. "Yeah... I don't know, though..."

"Well... What do you want to know?"

"Hmm?"

_What did he want to know? What did he... want..._

As though reading his thoughts, Kayashima spoke again, his words soft and encouraging. "You don't have to say it out loud. If you just focus on the question you want to ask, repeat it in your mind, it will still be able to pick up on your energy."

"Eh? Ah... Okay..."

It was scary, sometimes, thinking like that. He didn't want Kayashima in his head. He didn't want it.

With one last glance in Kayashima's direction, he closed his eyes, sucked in a breath and said a little prayer.

_Am I... really...?_

It was a gentle sway, slow at first and building steadily in intensity until the answer was clear. Too clear and too concise and much too quick for every sleepless night, every panic attack, every loss of self esteem and every debilitating bout of fear that he'd experienced. Over and over again.

The sudden noise of the pendulum crashing against the wall echoed through their room like a thunderclap.

"This is bullshit!" Nakatsu yelled, standing in a huff and walking rigidly to the small bathroom they shared. The look of shock in Kayashima's eyes only tormented him for a moment before he stood beneath an onslaught of cold water and tried to calm down.

**Oscillation - End**

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Thanks for reading! Sorry it took so long for an update. I forgot I was writing this. Actually, no, that's a lie. I just stopped thinking about it for a while. Anyway.

You may or may not have noticed that I changed the "chapter" titles. During my little break, I did some serious thinking about this story (if you can call it that) and sort of centered my thoughts on the whole thing. Previously, I'd had planned to have the "glimpses" sort of interspersed with special chapters that were going to have their own title and be sort of connected on their own, but my head got too confused and my plans made no sense, so thought it over and came to this decision. I'm thinking it will sort of help the "direction" of this thing... but... we'll see.

Anyway. Get yourself a pendulum. They're fun...

And... Last, but not least, thanks to those who have reviewed. I really appreciate it that you take the time to do that. Keep it up, mmkay?? Please and thanks. ^_^


	4. That Which The Dragon Swallows

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Hana Kimi

**Warning:** So on and so forth. You know. Anyway. Watch out. I've attempted to be... "profound" in this chapter. You have been warned! And maybe the shounen ai is getting a liiiiitle less subliminal...

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**The Other Side  
IV: That Which The Dragon Swallows**

It was dark inside. And still. When Nakatsu had burst through the door to their room, his brown eyes searching frantically for his roommate so that he could tell him the news, drag him outside to see it for himself, he was struck by it, stopped by it - the gloomy stillness that greeted him upon entering their room. It caused him to take a breath and pause, to wonder at the meaning of it before he could return to his original intent.

It wasn't as if it was pitch black. The early evening light was streaming in through the windows, creating a dusky shade to the boys' shared space. Anyone else would've thought that the room was empty, devoid of all life, but Nakatsu knew. He knew that Kayashima was lurking somewhere in those shadows.

His hands fumbled over the handle of the door he had carelessly swung open and slowly, with a calmness he didn't feel inside, closed it, the sound of the latch clicking into place with an almost deafening and unexpected loudness. It reverberated through his hearing, stuck in his mind so sharply, he was frozen once again by the meaning of something he knew he'd never understand. The image of a storm cellar flashed through his head quickly and disappeared.

Kayashima. He'd come here to get Kayashima.

"H-hey... You up there?" he called after centering himself and recalling his purpose, his eyes drifting to the upper level where he knew the other boy must be.

"Yes."

It was a small sound. Small and fragile and weak sounding. It nearly made his heart jump right out of his chest.

"K-Kaya-...?" He couldn't even finish his roommate's name for the lump that had formed in his throat and was currently constricting all air flow. Not even a second went by before his feet were on the stairs, carrying him toward his concealed friend.

What did he expect? Why did he always expect the worse? Why did the most terrible scenario always play through his mind first?

As he ascended the stairs, he was vaguely aware of a mild scent in the air. It was spicy, yet sweet and as he reached the top step, his eyes locked onto the source of it - a blue candle sitting on the floor, its flickering flame and the dancing shadows it created, the only movement in the room.

And there he was, sitting in front of the small windows on his level, gazing upward, his hands folded in his lap. And most importantly, he was completely alive and intact.

"Hey... Why are you in here? Won't it be better to watch it from outside?" Nakatsu asked, purposefully ignoring the heavy silence and the unearthly gleam the outside light was casting upon Kayashima's already pale face.

"No. I'll stay here," Kayashima answered quietly, eyes closing as he leaned back in his chair.

"But... everyone's outside. Let's go," Nakatsu tried to persaude him while stepping around the candle to stand directly behind his seated roommate. "I can't believe you're still in here, anyway. I mean, this seems like your kind of thing, and here you are, watching it from a little window?"

"I'll stay here. If you want to watch it from outside, feel free... but..."

Kayashima may have been a quiet person, but he never stuttered, never got flustered when speaking. He always seemed so sure of what he was saying. And he most definitely never left his sentences hanging open for other people to fill in.

"... But... what?"

Slowly, the psychic turned in his chair, the gentle motion causing a distinctly wooden creak that seemed much too loud and much too harsh in the short distance between them. "I'd rather you stay here."

It was an easy task to haul his swivel chair up the narrow staircase. Sitting next to Kayashima, they watched the light outside slowly dim.

"Man... Isn't this taking too long? I mean, I guess I thought it would be faster..."

Kayashima blinked and scrunched his lips together, but his gaze never left the window. "The movement of celestial bodies is quite slow when viewed from afar."

"Ah. Yeah. That's right."

It felt strange, sitting next to him like this, their two chairs crowded in front of the small window. The scent of the candle was faint, yet somehow invigorating, and he felt the need to get up and move around, to cause a ruckus. Outside, he could see the crowd of his schoolmates in the courtyard all gazing up at the sky, their faces filled with anticipation, their cameras and cellphones all pointed up, ready to capture the moment when it finally occurred. And Kayashima... He seemed like stone.

It was a total solar eclipse. Something rare. Something magical.

When the moon finally settled into place over the sun, blocked out as much of its light as it possibly could, a multitude of flashes rose up from the audience below. Something stopped for a moment. Something disappeared. Nakatsu held his breath, his fingers clasped tightly over his knees as he watched it with wide eyes. Outside, on the very periphery of his vision, he noticed Mizuki standing next to Sano, a smile of awe and wonder on the face that had caused him so much heartache. Next to him, he saw Kayashima close his eyes.

It was beautiful, in a way. It was also terrifying. Bleak and desolate.

After a few minutes, it was over. The moon retreated and the sun shone as though nothing had happened.

A shaky sigh disrupted the thick silence that had enveloped their room and Nakatsu had to wonder for a moment whether it was him or Kayashima that had done it.

"S-so why didn't you want to watch it from outside?" he asked in his most natural, carefree tone, scratching the back of his neck before standing and rolling his chair towards the staircase, quite ready to return to the normal routine of the day and dispel the strange atmosphere that had settled.

Kayashima remained still. It was unnerving.

"Reasons you wouldn't understand," the psychic answered after a moment, his turned back like a wall blocking him from something he'd never be able to reach anyway.

Nakatsu stared for a moment, silently willing the other boy to just turn around and shrug off his uneasiness with a calm, knowing smile, but it never happened.

"Fine. Whatever."

He picked up his chair and made for the staircase, yet a small movement caused him to pause. Kayashima had turned just slightly in his chair until his profile was barely visible, and in the one black eye that was presented to him, Nakatsu saw such immeasurable vulnerability that his own self-assuredness nearly vanished altogether.

"A-are you okay?" he whispered shakily at his friend, taking an uneasy step forward, then back again. The chair he was holding was suddenly so, so heavy.

"Yes." His face belied his tone.

A clamor in the halls signaled their schoolmates returning indoors.

"Oh... Okay then..."

He felt like he had to get out, get away for just a moment or he might change his mind about everything. And he did. He turned around and flew down the stairs, set his chair in its proper place by his desk, flipped on the lights and desperately willed that image out of his head. He paced around the room, pulled at his hair, shuffled things around and finally settled on the small refrigerator their dorm was equipped with. If he ate something, he'd feel better. Yanking it open, his free hand already reaching inside, he stopped, froze completely at the sight that greeted him. It was empty. All of their food was gone.

"W-what the hell?..." he murmured to himself, his eyebrows furrowing as he tried to make sense of what he was seeing.

"Kayashima!" he yelled before thinking, craning his neck up to gaze at his secluded level of the room. "Where the hell's our food?!"

A short pause followed.

"Up here."

"_... What?_"

"It's up here..."

"What the fuck?..." he mumbled, slamming the fridge door shut and trudging back up those steps, mind set on his food and nothing else. Nothing else.

When he arrived, Kayashima was standing, the candle still burning by his feet, the heart-rending look almost, but not all the way, gone from his face.

"_Well?"_ Nakatsu gestured brashly with his hands, feigning extreme annoyance.

Kayashima moved towards his bed and knelt down, reaching underneath it to pull out a large box covered with a black cloth. Slowly, and almost delicately, he peeled off the cloth to reveal all their food, packed in a neat and organized fashion.

He didn't get it. He didn't get it at all.

"I... I'm not even going to ask," Nakatsu announced, his eyes wide in a mixture of disbelief and confusion. Moving forward, he knelt beside Kayashima and made to pick up the box, but a small hand against his arm stopped him. Kayashima's skin looked so unreal, so porcelain white when put up against his own sun soaked flesh.

"W-what?"

"... Maybe we should just throw it out."

"Are you kidding me?!" Nakatsu yelled, standing and taking the box with him. "I paid money for this, man!... And... And I'm hungry!" Without waiting for a reply, he stomped down the stairs, his arms wrapped tightly, protectively, over their once hidden food and began to put it back in the refrigerator. A small, wooden creak from above told him that his roommate was on the move, and when he looked up, he saw the silent boy standing at the top of the staircase, his black eyes watching him passively.

"What now?" he asked warily, grabbing the bottle of juice he'd originally been looking for and twisting off the top.

"Nothing."

He could pretend he didn't feel anything, he could pretend that everything seemed completely normal, that there was no weight to the air, no darkness lurking in the unmasked light of the sun. He took a swig of his juice, but he couldn't pretend that it tasted right.

Kayashima disappeared behind the wall and, with the image of a demolished earth flashing through his mind and quickly disappearing, he swallowed it.

**That Which The Dragon Swallows - End**

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Thanks for reading...

Sorry about the delay. I'm suddenly all inspired about my fanfiction, but I have such little opportunity to actually sit down and write it. Bah. Such is life. Anyway. There's one thing I do want to say about this story. In a couple reviews people have said that I'm not really explaining things, or that what's happening is really unclear (NOT TO SAY ANYONE'S BEEN COMPLAINING ABOUT IT, COZ I DON'T REALLY THINK THAT'S THE CASE), but, that is kind of the point of this story. Half of it is Nakatsu/Kayashima fluff, the other half is about an unknowing person coming into contact with supernatural occurrences, whether blatantly supernatural or not. Nakatsu's in the dark. You're in the dark(for now). Unless you know what I'm talking about. 'Cause I know what I'm talking about.

Anyway. Reviews, if you please. It might sound childish (and maybe a little selfish) but reviews really do help me to write this, and make me want to write it a little more, you know... So... Please and thanks. ^_^


	5. Inescapable As Death

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Hana Kimi

**Warning:** Boy on boy action. Not even joking. Sure, it's super tame, but still... boy on boy action.

* * *

**The Other Side  
V: Inescapable As Death**

He could still feel it in the back of his mouth, against his tooth - the hard metallic delicacy of it.

_Shit! I could've died!_

If he had said it out loud, it would've been a yell, a soon to be forgotten declaration of war against those who had wronged him. He held it in a fist, unsure as to why he was filled with such anger, unsure as to why he couldn't let go of it.

He shucked off his bag and headed for the staircase, his mind focused on one thing now. Sharing his terrible ordeal with Kayashima. He trudged up the stairs, huffing all the way, only to find his frustration increasing with what he found.

He walked up behind Kayashima, who was sitting at his desk, holding a small hand mirror up and methodically dragging a comb through his jet black hair. Bending down and finding the psychic's eyes in the glassy reflection, he gave him a pointed look.

"How many times do I have to tell you that those aren't allowed in the dorms?!" He asked, pointing at the small candle that was lazily burning on his desk. "There are lights in here, you know. Just the flip of a switch and they have the same effect."

Kayashima didn't move or answer. He simply stared back at him through the mirror, his lips parted ever so slightly. For a moment, Nakatsu felt those black eyes swallowing him whole as distinctly as he had felt that thing crack between his teeth when he had innocently bitten down on his lunch, never suspecting a thing.

"W-what?"

It took another moment for Kayashima to come back to life, for his eyes to blink and his mouth to move. And slowly, thoughtfully, it curved into a bemused smile - the kind someone makes when they don't know whether they should be happy or not.

"It's... funny..." he whispered, setting down his mirror and brush and turning in his chair to face him. This change in position caused their faces to end up unexpectedly close to each other and Nakatsu quickly took a step back and straightened up, his fisted hand subconsciously rising up in defense.

Kayashima looked up at him through squinted eyes, his mouth falling open again. Just as he could barely see the other boy's tongue between the small opening of his lips, Nakatsu could almost see the words that were resting on the tip of it, not yet spoken, not yet real.

"Uh... Um..." He knew he had to fill the silence with something before the other did. Kayashima's words in moments like this always made him feel transparent and hollow. They made him feel like a fool. "W-where's your costume?"

"On the bed." Kayashima made a slight gesture with his hand toward the neatly folded and brightly colored layers of fabric that were resting on his comforter.

"Ah. I see. Cool." He fidgeted, shifting his gaze between his roommate and his bed. "W-well... I guess I'll go get ready myself," he mumbled, eyes on the floor as he made to leave.

"Wait."

Kayashima stood and Nakatsu halted in his retreat, turning back towards him. One pale finger was extended and pointing at the hand that had been tightly clutching something small and delicate for far too long.

"Oh. Ah... Yeah." He looked down at his fist. "Ha ha, how'd you know?" he asked sheepishly, scratching the back of his head with his free hand and feeling like an idiot for even asking.

"The moment you came in I could feel that you had something important to tell me."

So serious. Always. Just thinking about the depthless profundity that must lurk behind those eyes made him dizzy, made him wonder what he must look like to a person who could probably peel him apart with one glance if he wanted to.

"Um, well, it's not really important. Just weird. I mean, it's dangerous, I think. People could get hurt if they keep doing that..."

"What?"

"Well, I was just eating lunch with the guys, you know, minding my own business, chewing my food. And then I bite down on something hard, nearly crack my tooth, and it's this fucking ring!" He finally found the strength to open his hand and presented the small metallic band to Kayashima. "I mean, it hurt! Look, there's even a little dent in it! I don't know who was putting stuff in the food, but it was really messed up. Must be some Halloween shit, or something. I mean, I wasn't the only one. Noe found a button in his food..." He trailed off, suddenly becoming hyper-aware of the situation he was in.

Candlelight was flicking off the walls. He was standing next to Kayashima - standing _too close_ to Kayashima - with a ring in his hand. It was like... it was like... He was hit with the hardest wave of deja vu he'd ever experienced in his life over something he'd never done before, something he'd never seen or felt.

He could almost hear the words Kayashima would've said if the psychic had come upon a situation that he viewed in the same way Nakatsu was viewing his current one.

It was like..._ it was meant to be_.

He shook it off. He had to or something would happen.

"W-what? Why are you looking at me like that?"

It was abnormal, wasn't it? Kayashima's wide eyes, his parted lips. No matter what happened, that boy never looked shocked, never looked confused. Never looked like he actually needed something from someone else.

"This is... funny..." the smaller boy whispered again, his face gradually falling back into its characteristic impassiveness.

It was like looking into a mirror. It seemed just as real and lifelike as the original, but there was a barrier there, something that must bridged or broken down before it could be true. It was like meeting Kayashima's eyes on a plane of glass that he felt so desperate to shatter.

And, as though he heard his desires through the silence, Kayashima moved forward, leaned into him, his motions so slow and gentle and careful, he couldn't be sure it was really happening.

They kissed. For a moment, their lips came together, touched softly and it felt as though finally, finally, the unknown thing he'd been waiting for had come to be. They had come to be.

Nakatsu and Kayashima.

Kayashima and Nakatsu.

Later, after they'd awkwardly pulled apart, both unable to speak for embarassment or shyness or the horror one feels at having their secrets exposed, he gave that cheap and accursed ring to Kayashima, even though just the thought of giving a ring to another boy almost made him want to implode. And the shy smile that he received as thanks nearly made him want to explode. It was hard to walk away when Kayashima told him he needed to change. It was hard not to let him self fall apart and go crazy and demand things that would later make him sick with shame. It was hard, almost.

Then they were both fully bedecked, their costumes in place, their disguises set. There was a visible lump on Kayashima's finger, underneath one of his black satin gloves. Hidden, yet there.

One that one night, when all the dead souls came back to play, and his anger had been transformed into something else entirely, Nakatsu felt like he had come home. On that night, when someone could become anyone else, he saw a brief glimpse of what a life lived only as himself might feel like.

**Inescapable As Death - End**

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Thanks for reading!

Yay for kissin'. And yay for (really late) Halloween chapter! I'm actually surprised I made it this far without any... "action". I really like writing about this couple and this story so far has just been so darn... platonic. I'm trying to figure out where to take it, etc... maybe work my way to build up to... *something*... O.o My brain goes frizzle frazzle just thinking about it.

And... I almost forgot. Yay for Halloween in general!! One the best days of the year! I had a great one, how about you?

(And review, please. ^_^)


	6. Circle

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Hana Kimi.

**Warning:** Um. This is the end. So... I dunno. You are warned.

* * *

**The Other Side**

**VI: Circle**

It was happening. Kayashima was busy with something deep, some mystical ritual that an outsider like him could never understand. Not that he'd want to, anyway. All that mumbo jumbo made his head spin.

And then there was the fact that they'd kissed. Actually kissed. As in two people pressing their lips together, as in two people expressing...

He really didn't want to go near Kayashima at the moment. He didn't want to see the pale yet full lips that he had so foolishly kissed. And at the same time, it was all he wanted. To see him and to repeat the act again and again and again until it changed into something else entirely. Until they...

_Become one._

It echoed through his mind. Above the quiet mumbles of Kayashima's chanting, that dangerous thought reverberated and took hold, expanding and expanding until there wasn't room for anything else.

Above him, Kayashima became silent. Nakatsu sucked in a shaky breath and shook his head, dispelling it, trying to forget he'd ever even imagined it.

And then, slowly, Kayashima's ghostly voice began again, the arcane words flowing from his mouth smoothly, making the air feel like velvet.

He wasn't going to go ask what he was doing. He'd learned the folly in doing that a long time ago. He wasn't even going to go look. He'd rather sit idly on his bed, his mind moving from one deranged thought to another as he desperately tried to erase the seemingly forever lingering feeling of Kayashima's lips against his.

He stayed like that for a while, sitting on the edge of his bed, half-listening to Kayashima's even voice, slowly feeling himself falling into a dream-like state.

_Kayashima._

_Kayashima._

_I want you to know. I need you to know. Without speaking the words, I need you to know, to understand what I'm feeling._

Nakatsu had thought that he might actually go crazy when he'd seen Kayashima wearing that stupid ring. Sure, he'd _given_ it to him but not to actually... wear. _Who would do that? Who? Seriously!_

He didn't understand that boy. He really didn't. Every word that came out of that mouth was like another language, beyond his understanding, outside his range. There was a veil, different levels of consciousness separating the two of them. Everday, he could feel it. Walking into their room felt like crossing over.

It was like being doused with cold water when Kayashima was suddenly downstairs and speaking to him. Nakatsu blinked and jerked his head up, looking around as though their room would give him clues to what had just been said, what he'd missed.

"Sorry," Kayashima repeated himself. "But, anyway, it's done." He spoke nonchalantly, waving his hand.

"Huh?..." Nakatsu mumbled, not following.

"It's over."

"Eh..." Suddenly, his eyes locked onto Kayashima's pale hand, where that ring - that stupid, stupid ring - was so noticeably gone. And it felt like a knife had been shoved into his chest. He gulped down a few shaky breaths to calm his suddenly erratic heartbeat, but it was no good. No good.

Kayashima raised an eyebrow. Nakatsu averted his eyes.

"W-what do you mean it's over?"

Only silence was offered as an answer and after a few moments, Nakatsu shakily raised his eyes to meet Kayashima's. The psychic was standing there with a confused look on his face, his slender eyebrows knitted together as he regarded his roommate.

"I'm... done... is what I mean," Kayashima said again after a long pause, his black eyes flitting over Nakatsu's body as he often did when trying to read someone's aura.

"W-what do you mean _done_? Done with... with...?"

_With me?_ is what he wanted to say, but the words just wouldn't come out.

"With the incantation I was just doing..."

"... Oh." Oh. He only realized how frantically his heart had been beating after it began to calm.

Kayashima's eyes flitted back and forth and a small, knowing smile slowly spread his lips. "Unfortunately... I don't think I'll ever be done with you... It'll just keep going, on and on, I think."

"Um. Yeah. You say that, but..." He knew he had to say it fast, before he chickened out, so he swallowed, coughed and looked to the ceiling before starting again. "Y-you say that, but where's that ring, huh?" _Why'd you take it off? Why, why, why?!_

Kayashima laughed, and Nakatsu's ears reddened at the sound of such a rare aural treat. "Upstairs. On my desk. I just had to take it off for the cleansing."

"Oh. Um..." He was stuck at what to say, what to do. His previous question had been so embarrassing, it deterred him from asking another. And he wasn't quite sure he even wanted to know what exactly was being... _cleansed_. So, he just cleared his throat and stared at the floor.

The sound of Kayashima's retreating footsteps made him look up only to see the other boy reach the top of the staircase and disappear behind the wall. He reappeared quickly enough though and almost skipped up to him, standing in front of him, his hand extended to reveal that dingy ring back in its place.

Nakatsu gulped, then turned red.

"Is this better?" Kayashima whispered.

"I... I guess," he mumbled, trying not to think, trying to calm down. But doing such things was always difficult when Kayashima was this close to him. To make matters even worse, the other boy had decided to crouch down and place his hands on his trembling knees and bring their gazes together.

"It's alright," Kayashima said calmly.

"Um... Okay."

_Just believe it. Just believe it._ There was a voice ringing through his head. Was it his or Kayashima's? He always wondered. He always, always wondered.

_Just believe that it will be okay._

And he tried. And slowly the nervousness that had been wracking his body began to fade. Slowly he felt his heart pump at a less alarming rate. The feeling of Kayashima's hands on his knees changed from searingly unbearable to a gentle warmth that spread throughout him.

And again, the same thing happened. If it was Kayashima who moved first, or himself, he didn't know. Whether they simultaneously leaned forward to press their lips together in another gentle kiss, he didn't know.

All he knew was that it was happening. Finally, finally, it was happening again. When Kayashima sighed and opened his lips, he knew that he could never deny this any more. It was the end of who he used to be. It was the beginning of something new.

And though he barely understood anything, he did understand that Kayashima was right, and always had been. It would just go on and on.

**END**

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And so, once again, we have come full circle. Lol. I'm so clever. Anyway. How many months was it since the last update? I don't even want to think. Anyway, I'm the kind of person that gets really obsessed with something for a short period of time, then completely forgets about it and moves onto the next. That kinda happened with writing fanfiction, here. I did it so much, then one day, I just completely stopped. But, I'm trying to get back into it. It was fun. I left another story completely hanging open... and I've quite realized I need to spend more time doing the fun things, or what is life worth, am I right?

Anywaaaayy... I told myself that if a certain story I wrote reaches a certain amount of reviews, I would write a *cough* third installment, if you get my drift. So, perhaps, in the near (?) future, you can look out for that. Anyway... If you enjoyed this story, I'm glad!! It was tough to write, but at least I finished... anddd... on to the next!!! (?)

(Ooh, yeah... Review please!!! XD)


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